Reciprocating-bed-driving mechanism.



R. MIEHLB.v REGIPROUATING BED DRIVING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12,1912. 1, 1 1 5,002. Patented 00h. 27, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES:

THE NORRIS PETERS (l). PHOTOJJTHO.. WAFHIIVKJI'UNy 171C R. MIEHLE.

BEGIPROCATING BED DRIVING MEGHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12,1912.

Patented Oct. 27, 1914 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTO? @iL/JM HIE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTO-umn., WSNINCIDN. n C.

R. MIEHLE.

RECIPROCATING BBD DRIVING MBCHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED sBPT.12,1912.

1,1 1 5 ,002. Patented Oct. 27, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHBET 3.

Wl T/VE 88158: IN VEN TOR @www MM ATTO/V575 lrt; MORRIS PETERS CO.. PHQTO-LITHQ. WSNINGYON. D. C

UNITEI)` STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT MIEI-ILE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CONTINENTAL & COMMERCIAL TRUST 8a SAVINGS BANK, TRUSTEE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

RECIPROCATING-BED-DRIVING MECHANISM.

T0 all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT Mini-ILE, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Reciprocatinged- Driving Mechanism; and I hereby declare that the following is a. full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is a. novel means for driving parts of machines with variable power or speed from a uniformly driven part.

rlfhe invention particularly relates to that class of machines in which a heavy bed or body is to be reciprocated, as in a `printing press wherein the printing surface is carried on a bed having a reciprocating movement under the impression cylinder.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a driving mechanism for such a machine that will permit it being operated at a higher rate of speed and produce a larger product than heretofore; and this is accomplished by providing a novel driving mechanism which will transmit the power from a uniformly operating `prime mover to the main operative parts of the machine with augmented power at the time when the greatest amount of work is to be performed and with less power as the strain decreases; and when applied to a printing press of the kind mentioned in effect will impart accelerated and retarded movements to the operative parts of the machine at the desired times.

In the example illustrated in the drawings the Objectis accomplished by means of a main driving gear which may be positioned eccentric to an intermediate driving `gear and is connected to rotate the latter and the intermediate driving gear communicates motion and transmits power from the main driving gear to the bed reciprocating meehanism; or when applied to printing presses it may transmit power and communicate motion to both the impression cylinder and the bed. By the said mechanism the whole machine may be sloweddown on the last Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 12, 1912. Serial No. 719,965.

PatentedOct. 27,1914.

half stroke of the bed and increased on the first half stroke of the bed.

I will explain the invention in `detail in connection with the accompanying drawings which show one specific embodiment thereof and will enable those skilled in the art to understand and use the same; and thc essential features of the invention are summarized in the claims.

In said drawings: Figure l is a gear side elevation of a printingiiness partly broken away. Fig. 2 a rear end elevation of Fig. l` `partly in section. Figs. 23 and LL are enlarged sectional plan views showing more in detail the construction of the bed motion mechanism. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional elevation of the means for shifting the bed driving gear. Fig. (3 is a detail side view of the supportingframe of the main driving gear. Fig. 7 is a detail top plan view partly in sectionof the main driving mechanism.

In the drawings F designates the main frame of the machine, which, in the example shown, is a flat bed printing press having a reciprocating bed 2 that may be mounted in the usual manner upon suitable Asupports in the frame; and above this bed is a cylinder 13 the shaft of which is journaled in bearings on the side members l-l and 15 of the frame.

'Po the bed 2 is secured a rack frame l carrying upper and lower racks 3 and l which are adapted` to be alternately meshed with a bed drivinggear 5, which is mounted on the inner end of a shaft 6 that is journaled 1n a suitable bearing 20 1n a swinging `or rocking frame Q0 that is mounted on a shaft 1G supported upon standards 18 `and 19 in the main frame. rl`his rocker frame may be moved at the proper times so as to shift gear 5 into position to mesh with rack 3 or rackl, by means of an arm 2l, attached to the rocker frame, carrying a stud or roller 22 engaging a cam groove 23 in a cam 24: mounted on a shaft 25 suitably journaled in the frame parallel with the shaft G (Figs. 4 and 5); which shaft 25 may be driven by means of a gear 27 on its outer end meshing with a pinion 27 on a stud 272;

and said pinion 27 is :tast to a pinion 26 meshing with the intermediate driving gear 9. rlhis intermediate driving gear 9 also meshes with a gear l2 on the cylinder shaft.

The bed driving gear shaft 6 extends through the roclrer frame 2l to the outside of the main frame and has on its outer end a gear 7, preferably of the same size as the gear 5, which meshes with an internal gear 8 which is preferably rigidly attached to or formed integral with the gear 9 so that said gears must rotate together. The said gears S and 9 are rigidly secured to or mounted on the inner end of a stub shaft 86 extending` parallel With shaft 6 but not in arial alinement therewith. The stub shaft 36 is preferably journaled in a bearing 37 mounted upon a lateral auxiliary :trame or bracket F attached to the side of the main frame F.

Beside gears 8 and 9 is the main driving gear '-l-l Which, in the example shown, is mounted upon an annular journal i5 formed on, or rigidly secured to, an arm ii6 which is pivotally supported. at one end on a shaft 10a that is journaled in bearings in the bracket F parallel with the shaft 36, and preferably in axial alinement with shaft 272. The annular' ournal d5 on arm -l6 is of larger internal diameter than the shaft 36, and surrounds this shaft as indicated in Figs. l, 2, 6, and 7. Suitable means should be provided for adjusting the annular ournal l5, and the gear all thereon, eccentrically of the gear 9. As shown bolts l5@ are connected to the annulus il5 and. project through slots 5b in a flange 37b on the inner end of bearing 17, see Figs. l, l and 7; and thus the tree end of the arm i-6 can be adjusted relatively to the bearing 37, so as to shift the gear ll eccentrically of the gear 9. ln the normal operative position of parts the gear 4l is adjusted to the position indicated in Figs. l, l, 6 and 7, so that it is eccentric to the gear i).

The main driving gear lll drives the intermediate driving gear 9 by means of lateral interlocl-:ing devices therebetween, which preferably consists of a pin or stud lll. i Y idly attached to one side of gear l) and rotatably engaged with a block Ll2 slidably mounted in a radial slot 4:3 in the opposed tace of the gear lll. This pin and slot connection forms a self-adjusting positive drive between the ececntrically displaced gears dal and 9, so that when gear il is rotated gear 9 is caused to rotate therewith. The gear ,lelmay be driven at a continuous speed by means ot' a pinion l() Vfined on shaft 1021; and shaft l0 may be driven by any suitable motor, not shown.

lt will be seen by reference to Figs. l and l. that the main driving gear ell is slightly eccentric to gears 8 and 9, but as gear 44: rotates it will through the block and pin.

4t2, ll, impart rotary motion to gears 8 and 9; but owing to the relative eccentricity of the 0ears the gears 6 and 9 will not rotate at unirorm speed with the gear ll; but instead will rotatemore slowly than gear fli4lwhen the pin lll in its orbital. rotation comes nearest to the aXis of the gear all, and will rotate more rapidly than gear il When said pin il is most distant from the aXis of this gear lll. ln this Way While gear all may be rotated at uniform speed gears 6 and 9 will have a variable speed, being actually although perhaps not perceptibly) accelerated during one halt of their rotation and retarded during the second half oic their rotation. liv reason of this variation in the movement imparted to gears 8,. and 9 it tollou's that the bed driving gear Which is operated directlyfrom gear 8 through the gear 7 and shaft 6 will be correspondingly accelerated and retarded during its rotation, and the cylinder 13 will be correspondingly accelerated and retarded hy reason of the direct meshing of its gear l2 with the gear 9. lt also tolloi s that the cam 2l 1vill be correspondingly accelerated and retarded in its rotation by reason ot the tact that it is driven through gears 26, 27 and 27 from the gear 9. By the said means l am enabled to impart to the press bed and to the cylinder a variable speed, from a uniformly driven driving gear; and can impart to the cylinder and to the bed accelerated and retarded. movements in absolute harmony with the 'rack bed motion movement from a uniformly speeded driving gear.

is applied to printing presses it is desirable to reduce the speed of or power applied to driving, the bed as it approaches the ends oi its strokes. Customarily the bed driving mechanism of all these presses (such as bed driving 5 and. co-acting rack 3 or impart a uniform speed or movement to the lied from the time the gear meshes With the rack until it goes out of mesh ther with. .lt is desirable to have the bed driven at uniform speed duringl the printing and to drive it as rapidly as possible during the major portion ot its stroke; it is also desirable to slovv down the movement of the bed as it approaches each end ot the uniform part oit its strole, and before lit is taken under control of the reversing mechanism. lt is obvious that if the bed driving gear 5 is driven at a uniform speed there vill be no slowing down of thebed until it is taken under control of the reversing mechanismg but by the employment of `my present invention (the driving gear ell when it first runs into mesh with the rack 4 (or 3), and its speed will accelerate during the first half of its revolution and until it reaches the center of the rack, and then its speed will decrease until it reaches the end of 'the rack. ln this invention, notwithstanding that the driving gear 44 is rotated at uniform speed, the bed is accelerated on the first half of the uniform part of each stroke and retarded or decreased on the last half of such part `of each. stroke. lt will also be seen that the cylinder is similarly accelerated and retarded during each rotation thereof, so that the bed and cylinder work in harmony. `By thus actuating the bed 1 am enabled to reciprocate it at greater speed with less jarring and` shock than would be possible with a uniformly speeded bed driving gear. y

1f it should be desired at any time to have the press operatewith the ordinary regular uniform motionof the bed, the gear 44 can be readily adjusted into axial alinement with the gear 9; such adjustment might be desir-4 able when printing coated stock with heavy inks; but in order to obtain the benefit of the present invention the gear 44 should be adjusted eccentric to gear 9 as above explained.

The bed may be reversed at the end `of .its stroke and during the time when gear 5 is run out of mesh with one rack and being shifted into position to mesh with the other rack, by any suitable means, many such being known in the art. In the drawings `I have shown a reversing crank 34 fixed to the bed driving gear 5 and provided with a friction roller 35, which operates in slots formed by the gates 28 and 28, and the shoulders 40 and 40; said gates are moved into and out of the path of the roller 35 by the cams 31, 31', 33 and 33. c

The operation of the gates during the reversal of the bed is briefly as follows: iVhen y the press bed is at a stop at the end of its non-printing stroke (Fig. 4) driving gear is disengaged from both racks 3 and 4, and the movement of the press bed is then coutrolled by the crank 34, working in the slot formed by the shoulder 40 of the rack frame l and the working face 39 of the gate 28. rlhe roller 32; and cam 33 holds the gate 2S closed. 1When the driving` gear 5 is rotated, the press bed and rack frame will move to the left on the printing stroke; the roller 3a will pass over the portion j of the cam 33, and roller 30 (on arm 29') pass over the portion g of the `cam 31, thus openingthe gate 23 and releasing the crank 34. At the same time that crank 34 is thus released, driving gear 5 (which has been raised by the movement of the bed motion rocker frame 20) engages with upper rack 3 and drives the press bed during its major part of its stroke.

y Near the end of the printing stroke the roller 32 passes over the portion c of the cam 33@ and roller 30 (on the arm 29) passes over the portion l of the cam 31, thus closing the gate 28, and engaging the roller 35 on crank 34 in the slot formed by the working surface 39 (of the gate 28) and the shoulder 40 of the rack frame l. At the same time that the roller 35 on crank 34 is so engaged, the driving gear 5 is lowered by the movement of the bed motion rocker frame 20 and is thus disengaged from upper rack 3, the press bed being then controlled by the roller in the slot formed between 39 and 40 as above, and coming to a full stop in the position shown in Fig. 3. On the nonprinting stroke the operation of the gate 2S is similar to the operation of gate 2C at the beginning of the printing stroke; and the operation of the gate 2S at the end of the non-printing stroke issimilar to the operation of the gate 2S at the end of the printing stroke.

Vhile I have shown and described upper of devices for reversing the bed at cach end of its Stroke, many suoli being known in the art which could be readily substituted therei for. In short my invention is adapted for use with a great variety of forms of bed driving `and reversing mechanisms with the resultant advantages above described.

lt will be seen that my invention provides means for retarding and accelerating the ordinary means for operating the press bed which embodies customarily means for retarding and accelerating the movement of the bed during tllc reversal thereof at the ends olfits strokes.

What l. claim is:

l. In combination, a main driving gear, an intermediate internal driving gear beside and eccentric to the main driving gear, connections between said gears causing them to rotate together, said intermediate gear having a variable speed compared with the speed of the main driving gear; and means fr :uljusting the relative ecccntricities of said gears; with a reciprocating hed, a bed driving gear, and means for operating said bed driving gear from said intermediate gear, whereby the power applied to the bed is correspondingly varied during each of its strokes.`

2. In combination, a. reeiproeatory bed, a

bed driving gear, and means for converting the rotary motion of said gear into a reciprocatory motion of the said bed; with a pinion fixed to the shaft of the bed driving gear, an intermediate gear driving said pinion, a main driving gear beside and eccentric to the intermediate gear, and lateral connections between said gears causing the intermediate gear to rotate with the main driving gear but at variable speed.

3. ln a printing press, the combination of a reciprocatory bed, a bed driving gear, and means for converting the rotary motion of said gear into reciprecatory motion of the said bed; with a pinion iiXed to the shaft of the bed driving gear, an intermediate gear driving said pinion; a main driving gear beside and eccentric to the intermediate gear, means for varying the relative eccentric displacement of said gears, and lateral connectoins between said gears causing the intermediate gear to rotate with the main driving gear but at variable speed.

it. in a printing press, the combination of a reciprocatory bed, a bed driving gear, means for converting the rotary motion of said gear into reciprocatory motion of the said bed, and an intermediate gear driving said bed driving gear; a main driving gea-r beside and eccentric to the intermediate gear, and lateral connections between said gears causing the intermediate gear to rotate with the main driving gear at variable speed, whereby the speed of the press bed may be alternately accelerated and decreased; with a cylinder cooperating with the bed, and gearing for driving said cylinder from said intermediate gear, whereby the rotary movement of the cylinder is varied in accordance with the variable speed imparted to the bed.

5. ln a printing press, the combination of a reciijirocatory bed, a bed driving gear, and means for converting the rotary motion of said gear into reciprocatory motion of the said bed; a pinion fixed to the shaft of the bed driving gear, an intermediate gear driving said pinion; a main driving gear beside and eccentric to the intermediate gear; lateral connections between said gears causing the intermediate gear to rotate with the main driving gear at variable speed, and means for varying the relative eccentric displacement of said gear whereby the speed of the press bed may be accelerated during the one part of its stroke and decreased during another part of its stroke; with a cylinder cooperating with the bed and gearing for driving said cylinder from said intermediate gear whereby a variable rotary speed is imparted to the cylinder in accordance with the variable speed imparted to the bed.

6. ln a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, opposite racks on the bed, a bed driving gear adapted to alternately engage said racks, a rocking support for the gear, a cam for oscillating said support to shift it into engagement with the racks; an intermediate gear operating the bed driving gear; a main driving gear beside and eccentric to the intermediate driving gear, and connections between said gears causing the intermediate driving gear to turn with the main driving gear but at variable speed relative thereto, whereby the motion transmitted to the bed driving gear causes the bed to gradually lessen speed during one portion of its stroke and gradually accelerate speed at another portion of its stroke.

7. ln a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, opposite racks on the bed, a bed driving gear adapted'to alternately engage said racks, a rocking support for the gear, a cam for oscillating said support to shift it into engagement with the racks, and a pinion on the bed driving gear shaft; an intermediate gear and means for actuating the bed driving gear therefrom; a main driving gear beside and eccentric to the intermediate driving gear; connections between said gears causing the intermediate driving gear to turn with the main driving gear but at variable speed relative thereto, whereby the motion transmitted to the bed driving gear causes the bed to gradually lessen speed during one portion of its stroke and gradually accelerate its speed at another portion of its stroke; with a cylinder and gearing between the intermediatev gear and the cylinder shaft whereby the cylinder is caused to turn at a variable speed in accordance with the variation of the speed of the bed driving gear.

8. lin a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, a bed driving gear, a pinion on the shaft of the bed driving gear, an internal gear meshing with said pinion, an intermediate driving gear fast to the internal gear, a main driving gear beside and eccentric to the intermediate driving gear, and means for causing the intermediate driving gear to turn with the main driving gear but at a variable speed reiative thereto, substantially as described.

9. ln a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating bed, a bed driving gear, a pinion on the shaft of the bed driving gear, an internal gear meshing sith said pinion, an intermediate driving gear fast to the internal gear, a main driving gear beside and eccentric to the intermediate driving gear, connections causing the intermediate driving gear to turn with the main driving gear but at a variable speed relative thereto, whereby the motion transmitted to the bed driving gear causes the bed to gradually lessen speed during one portion oit' its stroke and gradually accelerate its speed at another portion of its stroke; with a cylinder, and gearing between the intermediate gear and the cylinder shaft, whereby the cylinder is cansed to turn at varialole speed in accordance with the variation of the speed in the bed driving` gear. o

l0. ln a printing press, the combination of a reciprocating` bed, a cylinder eo-acting therewith, opposite racks on the bed, a bed driving' gear adapted to alternately engage said racks, a rocking support 'for the gear, a cam for oscillating` said support to shi'ift it into engagement with the racks; a pinion on the shaft ot the bed driving gear, an internal gear meshing` with said pinion, an intermediate driving gear rotatable with said internal gear, a main driving gear beside and eccentric to the intermediate driving gear, pin and slot connections between the intermediate driving gear and the main driving gear whereby the rotary motion oi' the intermediate gear varies from that oir the main drivinggear; gearing between the intermediate gear and the cylinder shaft, and gearing for operating the cam actuating shaft.

ll. ln combination, a revoluble imprcs sionwcylinder, means to revolve said cvlinder, a'reciprocating bed, means to reciprocate the bed, means for retarding the movement oit the bed as it approaches each end ot' the stroke and accelerating its initial movement in the opposite direction, and supplemental means to canse an equal acceleration of the movements o't the cylinder and bed dnring the first portion oi the bed stroke and gto retard their movements equally during the latter portion ot the bed stroke, substantially as described.

12.` In combination, a revoluble impression-cylinder, means to revolve said cylinder, a reciprocating bed, means Jfor reciprocating the bed, means for retarding the movement of the bed as it approaches each end of its stroke and accelerating its initial movement in the opposite direction, and supplemental means to accelerate equally the movements of the cylinder and bed duringthe first portion of the bed stroke and to retard equally their movements during the latter portion of the bed stroke, substantially as described.

13. In combination, a. revolnble impression-cylinder, means to revolve said cylinder at a substantially uniform speed, a

reciprocating bed, `means for reciprocating` the bed at a substantially uniform speed, means it'or retarding the movement `of the bed as it approaches each end of the stroke and accelerating its initial movement in the opposite direction, and supplemental means to accelerate the movements of the cylinder and bed equally during the irst portion of the bed stroke and to retard their movements equally during the latter portion oi the bed stroke, substantially as described.`

` lll. ln combination, a reciprocaiting member, a rotatable gear, and connections betweensaid gea' and said member for reciprocating the latter; with an intermediate driving gear meshing with the rotatable gear, a main driving gear beside and `ad- `instable radially oit the intermediate gear, and lateral connections between the latter gears whereby power applied to the main driving gear is variably transmitted to the rotatable gear.

15. In combination, a reciprocatingbed, a rotatable gear, and means actuated by said gear tor reciprocating the bed; with a main driving' gear, an intermediate gear meshing with the rotatable gear, and arranged beside the main driving gear, said main driving gear being adjustable radially with respect to said intermediate gear, and

lateral connections between the said inter-` mediate and driving gears whereby the intermediate gear caused to turn with the main driving gear in any adjusted position ot' the latter.

1G. ,ln combination with a reciprocating member, a rotatable gear. means operated by said gear for reciprocating the member, and an internal gear engaging said ro;- tatable gear; with a driving gear located eccentrically to the internal gear, and interlocking connections between said internal and driving gears whereby the power applied to the member is alternately increased and diminished during each ot its strokes.

17. ln combination, a reciprocating 1nember, a rotatable gear, and means operated by said gear for reciprocating the member; with an internal` gear engaging said rotatable gear, a driving gear located eccentrically to thc internal gear, and lateral connections between the internal and driving gears whereby the latter gear causes the rotation ot the rotatable gear at a varyingr speed and the speed oi. the member is alternately increased and diminished during each of its strokes.

18. In combination, a reciprocating bed, a bed driving gear, and means actuated by said gear forreciprocating the bed; with an internal gear, a gear connected with the bed driving gear and meshing said internal gear, a main driving gear beside but eccentric to the internal gear; and lateral connections between the said internal andmain driving gears, whereby the bed driving gear is caused to operate the bcd at variable speed. ,4

19. In combination, a main driving gear, an intermediate driving' gear beside and ec- 10 member from the latter gear whereby the power applied to said member is variable during each oi lts Strokes.

n testimony that claim the foregoing as my own, afx my signature 1n presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT MIEHLE.

VVtneeses:

E. R. DANFORTH, ROBERT F; MIEHLE, Jr.

Copies f this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C." 

